Tray elevator



S. OLSON.

TRAY ELEVAT0R. APPLICATION FILED DEC-8| 1920- I 1. 41634% at t d May 23, 1922.,

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MUM] OLSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 SAMUEL OLSON COMJPANY,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TRAY ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 19.22..

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL OLSON, a citizen of the United States, and having residence at Chica o, in the county of Cook and the State of I? new and useful Improvements in Tray 'Elevators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyin drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to certain parts of an elevator or tray conveyor of the general type shown in my Patent No. 1,325,857 and also in iny pending application, Serial No. 426,775. Its purpose is to provide a construction which shall be simpler and more economical to build than my previous elevators of this type and it therefore consists of the features and elements and their combination which .contributes to this result as hereinafter described and shown in the drawings and as indicated by the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of an elevator of the type to which this invention relates.

- Figure2 is a detail elevation showing-a fragment of the elevator chain with a flight secured thereto and a guide member for the v Figure 3 is a plan section of the flight and the guide shown in Fi re 2, together with thed two chains by whlch the flight is carrie Figure 4 is a plan section similar to Figure 3 but showing amodified form of chain and guidance for the flight.

Figure 5 is a detail elevation of certain parts shown in Figure 4. v

Figure 6 is a plan -section similar to Fig ure 3 but showing another modification.

Fi ure 7 is a plan section of a further modi cation.

The type of elevator or tray carrier to which my above mentioned patent and application relate consists of the typical parts shown diagrammatically in Figure 1 and comprising four chains, '1, mounted for parallel vertical travel upon suitable sprocket wheels, 2, whose shafts, 3, may be driven from a common power shaft, 4, at equal speeds so that load supporting fli hts, 5, secured to each pair of chains, 1, shaIl be maintained in horizontal registration with each other during the vertical travel of the opposing faces of the two belts thus formed by two pairs of chains and their connecting flights.

linois, have invented certain Thus the flights, which are preferably composed of members of angular cross-section having their vertical flanges, 6, attached to the chains, 1, and their horizontal flanges, 5, projecting therefrom, will support and carry loads dimensioned to extend from a flight of one belt to a flight of the other'as for example trays like that indicated in dotted outline at X on Figure 1. Since the vertically travelin plies of the chains, 1, may be of considerable extent, it is desirable to guide the chains or the flights in order to keep the two belts spaced apart by uniform distance and also to prevent undue flcxure of the chains, 1, and tipping of the flanges, 5. of the flights when loads are applied to. them.

In my aforesaid patent the end portions of the vertical flanges, 6, of the flights are shown extending into guide channels while in my co-pending application various forms of guide members are shown applied to the flights for the same purpose without requiring the flanges, 6, to be so extended beyond the flanges, 5.

It is also desirable in an elevator of this type that the two opposed belts shall present a substantially continuous wall from flight to flight to guard the loads carried by them. Such elevators are frequently used for transporting tray loads of dishes, which if piled high on the trays may tend to slide laterally toward or beyond the vertical flanges, 6, of the flights. In my former patent, I showed flat plates secured to the chains to cover the spaces between adjacent flights to thus guard the loads.

The present construction and its modifications accomplish both the guidance of the belts and the provision of a continuous vertical wall laterally just beyond the flights by the use of a vertically extending member such as that shown at 7 in Figures 2 and 3 and which may be a wooden board or wall of boards supported closely adjacent'the vertically extending flanges, 6, of the flights carried by each pair of chains so .as to span the gaps between adjacent flights and at the same time form a stop and guide definitely limiting the space between the two belts. The chain, 1 shown in Figures 2 and 3 is of the pintle type and the flight angles are "attached to it by meansof brackets, 8, which 10, of the chain, 1*. Thus, although pivotally attached to the chain, the flights will be firmly held against the guide walls, 7, by any load placed upon their horizontally extending flanges, 5, and with this arrangement such load will have much less tendency to buckle or flex the chain, 1", than if the lower edge of the flange, 6, of each flight rested against the chain itself. Preferably as indicated in Figure 3, the brackets, 8, may be attached to the flights at their extreme ends and the intermediate space will be practically filled by a single run of vertical guide wall, 7. j

A modified construction for the same urpose is shown in Figures 4 and 5 inw ich the chain, 1", is of a familiar cast form in which each link hooks on to the next link and certain links such as that illustrated at 11 in Figure 5 are provided with ears, 12, for attachment to the flanges, 6, of the flights. As in Figure 3 the chains are secured adjacent the extreme ends of each flight and a single guide wall. 13, is interposed between them. But to maintain the proper load supporting position of the flights in their travel'they are guided both by contact of the flanges, 6, with one surface of the member, 13, and by provision of short sections of the Z-bar, 14, which may be secured by the same rivets, 15, which pass through the cars, 12, of the chain links, 11, as clearly shown in Figure 4. These 2- shaped members thus overhang the back face of the guide wall, 13, and co-operate with the flanges, 6, ofthe flights, to form guide groovesor channels running upon the edges of said member, 13, as the elevator chains travel.

In Figure 6 the chains, 1, which are substantially of the same type as shown in Figures 4 and 5, are set back from the ends of the flights and the vertical guide wall is composed of three vertically extending members, 16, 17 and 18. Guidance upon the rear faces of the members, 16, and 18, is secured by casting guide lugs,-19, on the links of chains, 1, which are secured to the flights, these lugs serving to hold the .vertical flanges. 6, of the flights substantially 1n contact with the front faces of the guides, 16, 17 and 18, as the chains travel.

A further modification of the guiding means is shown in Figut'e 7 in which short sections of channel iron, 20, or other U- shaped members are attached to the flanges,

6, of the flights, as byspot welding, in position to engage the edges of vertical guide members, -16 17 and 18:, respectively. Th s requires no special formation of the chain links themselves and therefore the entire construction can be produced from standard shapes easily procured and worked.

I claim 1. In an elevator comprising a pair of opposed vertically traveling belts, each consistmg of-a pair of chains with flights connecting them transversely at intervals, each flight having a horizontally extending part for supporting a load and a vertically extending part rigid therewith; a fixed member 'extcndin vertically between the two chains of eac belt and resenting a flat surface for contact with t e vertically extending parts of said flights.

2. In the combination defined in claim 1, guiding means on each belt arranged to hold said flights in contact with said fiat surface or adjacent thereto in the load-carrying part of their travel. i

3. In the combination defined in claim 1, said fixed member having an oppositely facing flat surface'parallel to that which is ex posed toward the flights, and means rigid wvith said flights extending for engagement with said opposite surface of the fixed memher for guiding the belts in their travel.

4:. In the combination defined in claim 1, said fixed member extending transversely to substantially fill the space between the chains so-as to constitute a guard wall for material carried by the flights.

5. In the combination defined in claim 1, said fixed member comprising a continuous wall spanning the gaps between adjacent flights to guard material carried thereby.

6. In the combination defined in claim 1, guide channels rigidly associated with the vertical part of each flight engaging the edges of said fixed member.

7. In an elevator comprising a pair of opposed vertically traveling belts, each consisting of anpair of chains with flights of angular cross-section connecting them transversely at intervals, with one flange of each flight secured to the chains and the other flange projecting from the inner side of the first to support a load; a fixed member extending vertically and presenting a flat surface closely adjacent the outer faces of the vertical flanges of said flights to form a continuous wall spanning the gaps between the flights and also serving as a guide to limit the distance between the flights of the two belts.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of December, 1920.

SAMU EL GLSON. 

